Books Received and Our Contributors
By Unexhibited
Summary
This issue’s ‘Books Received’ column lists several recent publications relevant to Jain studies and allied disciplines. The first entry is *Itiṃhāsi Samvar Bel Oswāl, Vol 2* (in Hindi) by Mangilal Bhuṭoria, published by Priyadarshi Prakashan, Calcutta in 1992. The notice reports that the work gives a history of different Oswal gotras and life‑sketches of prominent Oswal men and women. Two volumes of *Triṣaṣṭiśalākā‑puruṣacaritra* (Vols 1–2) by Ganesh and Rajkumari Lalwani, issued by the Prakrit Bharati Academy in Jaipur in 1989 and 1991, provide Hindi translations of Purvas 1 and 2 of Hemacandra’s celebrated Jain epic. The first volume translates the sections dealing with Ādinātha and Bharata Cakri Carit, while the second volume covers Ajitanath and Sagar Cakri Carit. The column also announces A. L. Srivastava’s *Nandyavarta: An Auspicious Symbol in Indian Art* (Allahabad, 1991), a study exploring the origin of the Nandyavarta symbol, its various forms, its development and its representations in Indian art. These succinct descriptions show that the Jain Journal aims to inform readers about new literature that spans genealogy, translation and iconography. Following the book notices, the journal lists its contributors: Donald Clay Johnson, Curator of the Ames Library of South Asia at the University of Minnesota; Swami Brahmeshananda of the Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service in Varanasi; H. C. Golchha, an industrialist from Calcutta; and Satya Ranjan Banerjee from the University of Calcutta’s Department of Comparative Philology and Linguistics. By including this section, the journal acknowledges the expertise of its diverse contributors and provides readers with leads for further reading across multiple areas of Jain and Indian studies.
Conclusion
This brief column underscores the breadth of scholarship appearing around 1992. Works on community histories, translations of canonical narratives and studies of auspicious symbols illustrate the interconnection between social history, philology and art. By highlighting these publications and acknowledging their authors and the journal’s contributors, Jain Journal encourages readers to engage with new research and affirms its own role as a forum for disseminating both original scholarship and awareness of recently published resources.